He played a crucial role in ending the franchise’s 11-year wait for a first CPL title.
The Saint Lucia Kings (SLK) managed to win their first Caribbean Premier League (CPL 2024) title when they beat the Guyana Amazon Warriors a couple of nights ago.
Notably, the Punjab Kings’ sister franchise, which has Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) personnel at the helm, played a crucial role in ending the franchise’s 11-year wait for a maiden CPL title.
Daren Sammy, who had previously plied his trade for RCB and is the current coach of SLK, took a surprising decision to play with the team’s winning combination from Qualifier 1 and played American cricketer Aaron Jones in the summit clash. Notably, Jones had previously batted in only two games with a highest score of 8, not out.
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Daren Sammy’s experiment almost failed
The decision appeared to backfire as Jones struggled, scoring just 10 runs off 19 balls, while the run required rate rose beyond 13. Meanwhile, Roston Chase, batting at the other end, was batting with a viral infection . With the experienced David Wiese and capable forward Matthew Forde waiting on the bench, Kings management considered the option of recalling Jones.
At 73 for 4 after 15 overs, chasing 139 on a tough Providence pitch, the team sent a message to Jones.
‘Have a chance because at the end of this, [we are] “I’m going to send David Wiese,” captain Faf du Plessis revealed after his victory.
That directive freed Jones.
He smashed Moeen Ali for a huge six over long on, setting the tone for a 27-run 16th over. In the next over, Jones added two more sixes, celebrating each one enthusiastically. Together, Jones and Chase ultimately sealed the victory in style.
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